Survey: Steady Uptick in Workers Returning to Office

There’s been a slow, but steady uptick in the number of workers leaving behind their slippers, pajamas and Zoom meetings and returning in-person to offices and other workplaces, according to the latest results of the Bay Area Return to Office Survey, which resumes after a summer hiatus.

See the Return to Office Survey results>>

Since September 2022, the number of employees working zero days in an office dropped by more than half, from 25% to 12%, and employers said they expect the number to drop to 8% in the next six months. At the same time, the number working in-person five days a week jumped from 17% to 27% over the past year, according to the latest survey, which is conducted jointly by the Bay Area Council and Metropolitan Transportation Commission. There were slim gains in the number of employees coming back to in-person work three and four days a week, with the number coming in two days a week unchanged since May.

These figures may represent the new normal, with 86% of employers signaling they have fully implemented their long-term in-person and remote work policies.

With COVID in the rearview mirror for many, the survey found that long commutes (73%) and the convenience of working at home (68%) are the biggest reasons employees are not returning in-person in higher numbers. Among those traveling to an office or other workplace, 38% said they are using public transit at least some of the time, the highest percentage since the survey began.

Your continued participation in the Return to Office survey is incredibly important – it is one of the few, consistently administered regional recovery metrics and is heavily relied on by stakeholders throughout the region who are working hard to bring the Bay Area back to life. The next round of the survey will launch on Tuesday, November 7 at 9:00am and will be open for two full weeks, closing on Tuesday, November 21 at 5:00pm. 

For questions, comments, and information on how to participate in next month’s Return to Office survey please contact Policy Director Laura Hill.